September is always a busy, expectant time with returns from vacation, school re-openings,
Rally Day on the horizon – but this year, it has been an especially busy time in the life of the
Hills Church. In addition to the usual start up of activities, we are excited that the Search & Call process came to fruition on September 11 with the vote to call Rev. Jonathan Page to serve the Hills Church, beginning in January, 2023.
Council voted on August 16, at the request of the Co-Senior Deacons, to call the Special Meeting after the Search Committee had agreed unanimously on a candidate. In our August meeting members of the Church Council also took the time to remember our sister in Christ, Sarah Pedersen, Former Moderator, whose passing in August has been a source of sadness. Sarah’s remarkable strength, thoughtfulness and grace was manifested in her dedication to the Hills Church in so many ways, most recently in the promotion and construction of our new website. Sarah is greatly missed. Doug Eisenhart gave us a preview of the Time, Talents, and Opportunities brochure, which has been sent off to the printer, with the hope that it will be available by Rally Day. It will be a comprehensive listing of ways in which to engage in the life of the church.
At our September meeting of the Church Council, we had a chance to review the Special
Congregational Meeting on September 11. The meeting, which was hybrid, was pronounced a
success. There were many more members present than the needed quorum on the floor, and
more than 20 members participating in the meeting remotely, after the service at which Rev.
Page preached. We expressed our gratitude for the work of our sound tech, Kenny Goshgarian, and our Tech Team of Bill Spencer and Rob Andrews, as well as the gift of the Meadowbrook School of two large monitors, so that all could see who was participating, and remote participants could be easily recognized if they wished to address the meeting.
We are especially grateful for the hard work of the Transition Team and the Search Committee in discerning the best candidate to receive our call, and the Spiritual Care Support Board for putting together opportunities for members to meet Rev. Page over the weekend.
In the meeting we also reviewed the August financials of the church and heard about the coming Budget Process from John Dooley. We learned about the upcoming Stewardship campaign which will be introduced in late September as well as the plans for Rally Day, September 18 which will be combined with a Ministry Fair. All members will have the opportunity to learn about ministry opportunities, as well as to enjoy ice cream sundaes and fellowship. We can also pick up copies of the newly updated Time, Talents and Opportunities booklet, which lists activities available to friends and members of the church, and new this year, clergy and staff led opportunities. There’s something for everyone!
September 18 is also the date for Betsy Wooster’s ordination into ministry. Rev. Judy
Swahnberg has been invited to preach at Betsy’s service, and the Church Council voted to
authorize Mary Hill Canavan to act as a representative of the Hills Church, along with Judy, at
the ordination. Council also approved travel expenses for Judy and Mary. Betsy joins Rev. Judy Swahnberg, and Rev. Jonathan Page in a long line of women and men nurtured at and by the Hills Church, as they discerned their call to ministry.
The Church Council will meet again on October 11. 2022.
